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EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Eagles soar into the area for winter

(WEAU) - They're known as our nation's symbol and one of the most dominant predators in the sky. In North America, we see only two types of eagles which are either the bald eagle or the golden eagle.

Bird enthusiast Larry Bennett sees’s bald eagles almost every day in his backyard.

"When I go out get the paper in the morning we greet each other," said Bennett.

Living along the Chippewa River has proven to be beneficial for Larry as eagles are slowing building their nests in Eau Claire.

"Just off the end of the neighbor's driveway there's a big tree. That where we have 1-4 eagles sitting," said Bennett.

But most of the eagles migrate along the Mississippi River coming as far as Hudson Bay.

"This keeps open all winter long. So it's a great place for eagles to migrate too and find food. We can average several hundred bald eagles,” said Scott Mehus, Education Director at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha.

36 to be exact we’re seen last week at the National Eagle Center and 169 north at Read's Landing.

"This is an immature bald eagle. Notice how it has some white underneath the wings," said Mehus.

"We have a golden eagle project where we're working on studying the golden eagles that winter in this area,” said Mehus.

A project Larry and Scott have been working on together several years.

Although the eagles inside the National Eagle Center are permanently injured, they don't seem to mind. They can still make territorial calls because they get front row seats to watching their eagle friends outside.

"He's got something on his eyes now, here he goes. Here he goes. He got it and you can see him reaching up and eating it there,” said Mehus.

Eagles can even steal fish from the mouths of diving ducks. But what if you see these creatures injured?

"Call your local non-emergency number. They generally have a list of people that can go help and pick that bird up,” said Mehus.

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